The present invention relates to the preparation of novel quaternary ammonium compounds and particularly to alkoxylated quaternary ammonium alkylene glycol borate esters and methods for their preparation. The present compounds are alkoxylated at at least one and up to three of the quaternary nitrogen bonding sites.
The manufacture of alkoxylated quaternary ammonium alkylene glycol borate esters is unknown, although compounds comprised of an inorganic cation or an alkyl quaternary cation and this anion are known. Examples of such compounds include the sodium salt of a boric acid cyclic phenylethylene ester disclosed by Bell in the Australian Journal of Chemistry, volume 23, issue 7 (1970), pages 1415-1420 (Chem. Abstracts reference 65954r); and the quaternary ammonium glycol monoborate salts disclosed by Hunter in U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,983, issued Feb. 16, 1965.
The present alkoxylated quaternaries are found to be useful in the manufacture of polyurethane foams. In several U.S. Patents, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,661,809; 3,726,816; and 4,256,802, urethanes are manufactured by blending two components, stirring, and then allowing the blend to rise in an open container so as to form the desired foam. These two components are known as the "A" and "B" components, with the "A" component comprising the isocyanate and the "B" component comprising a blend of polyol, catalyst, surfactant, and blowing agent. All of the methods of polyurethane foam manufacture disclosed in the above patents, however, require that a conventional catalyst, such as an alkali metal salt, be used.